Dispensers find numerous uses both domestically and industrially for dispensing a variety of fluids. There are many different types of dispensers with one of the more popular liquid dispensers being a spray bottle. Spray bottles dispense a variety of fluids from plain liquids, such as water, alcohol, to complex liquid-based compounds. Cleaning products, such as kitchen and bathroom cleaning products, are often dispensed through spray bottles.
Traditional spray bottles and hand pump dispensers contain a single reservoir that holds a single fluid and include a spray bottle head that is actuated to dispense the fluid. The spray bottle head is typically made up of only a few parts including a trigger lever which activates a small pump. This pump is attached to a plastic tube that draws the fluid from the bottom of the reservoir (which can be in the form of a plastic bottle). The pump forces the liquid down a narrow barrel and out of a small hole formed in a nozzle piece, which is often adjustable to change the flow characteristics of the fluid. The fluid pump has a simple design in that the main moving element is a piston that is housed within a cylinder. Inside of this cylinder is a small spring. To operate the pump, the user pulls back the trigger which results in the piston being pushed into the cylinder. The moving piston compresses the spring so that when the user releases the trigger, the piston is pushed back out of the cylinder. These two strokes of the piston constitute the entire pump cycle.
The downstroke of the piston when the piston is pushed into the cylinder reduces the area of the cylinder and therefore, forces fluid out of the pump. Conversely, during the upstroke of the piston, the area within the cylinder is expanded and fluid is drawn into the cylinder. In order to accomplish the aforementioned actions, the spray bottle includes at least one one-way valve. The spray bottle can have two one-way valves in the pumping system, namely, a first one-way valve that is located between the pump and the reservoir and a second one-way valve that is located between the pump and the nozzle. Often, the one-way valve between the pump and the reservoir is in the form of a small rubber ball (or metal or plastic) that rests neatly inside a small seal. When no pumping action is occurring, the ball seats against the seal and the fluid passageway is blocked. During a pumping action when the user releases the trigger, the expanding area of the cylinder sucks the fluid below resulting in the ball being pulled out of the seal. Since the ball is not seated against the seal, the fluid is free to flow from the reservoir. However, when the trigger is squeezed, the dispensing force of expelling the fluid pushes the ball into the seat blocking off the passageway to the reservoir and as a result, the pressurized fluid is pushed only into the barrel.
Hand pumps are often very common and are similar to spray bottles in that a hand pump holds a fluid (e.g., liquid) that is dispensed by action of a pump mechanism. In particular, the dispenser's pump is attached to a tube which runs into a storage chamber where the fluid is contained. When the pump is activated manually by applying pressure to the pump mechanism, this first pushes air out of the tube to create a suction effect, Which then draws the fluid back up the tube, releasing it via the pump spigot for fast, efficient cleaning and hand washing. Foaming dispensers, however, function a little differently. Comprised of two main chambers (rather than one), foaming dispensers combine and mix the air from one chamber with the liquid (e.g., housed) housed in another in order to dispense a pre-measured amount of the thick (soapy) lather.
Hand pumps are often used to dispense personal health care products, such as shampoos, conditioners, body washes, hand soap, etc. However, there are other applications for hand pumps including car care products and also cooking supplies and food condiments, such as dressings and oils, food condiments, etc.
In addition, other types of personal care products, such as tanning supplies including but not limited to an aloe vera solution (gel), tanning oil, suntan lotion, etc. It will thus be appreciated that other types of fluids can be used in a hand pump dispenser and the foregoing applications and fluids are not limiting of the present invention.
There is therefore, a need for a multi-reservoir dispenser, such as a pump dispenser, that has completely separate plumbing for each fluid to be dispensed along the entire flow path from the reservoir to the nozzle.